


Reasons Why I'm Stupid for Loving You

by P413



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Always-Girl-Cisco, F/M, Genderbending, pinning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:13:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9218456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/P413/pseuds/P413
Summary: Cisco comes to a realization.  Now she needs a stiff drink.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys. This is sort of a preview for a fic I have in mind. I'm trying to see how people like female!Cisco, so this is a test of sorts. Tell me what you think. Constructive critique is always welcome.
> 
> (I am also trying to figure HTML, so please bare with me.)

This is what love was like for Cisco: it was like an arcade game. Specifically, it was like Pacman (because it’s a classic). Pacman was a game where you move the little yellow ball around the course. You would run along the track nom-nomming all of the yummy energy points. All the while trying to avoid the little ghosts that looked like Charlie Brown from the Halloween special stumbling around moaning, “I got a rock.” At least, that’s what Cisco thought of whenever she played.

So, yeah. Love was like Pacman. When you met someone, they started the first level. Caitlin has been her friend for longer than anyone she’s known, so Caitlin was on level 93. And Caitlin would probably stay at the higher levels for infinity and beyond. Cisco valued their friendship more than anyone’s and viewed the older woman as honorary family (and definitely closer than her actual family who all collectively scored a 42). It was pretty amazing to have a friend like Caitlin. Cisco still wondered what on Earth she had done right to be granted a level 93 friendship. There’s been a lot of time spent into their relationship. Lots of movie nights, lunch dates, and comfort talks. To go along with the Pacman metaphor: they’ve both spent a lot of quarters on this game.

Barry was about a level 79, maybe 80. He had flown through the levels fairly fast, faster than most people. But that was his thing, right? Fast. And really, with all the time they spent together, – especially when they had been helping him train – it was hard not to skip a few levels. Besides, he was such an adorable idiot, you couldn’t help but love him. He also quoted Star Trek and loved The Lord of the Rings. All bonuses in Cisco’s book. He was by far the closet friend she’s ever had from the opposite sex. If Caitlin was her family, then Barry was her best friend.

Then there were the other members of Team Flash. They each had their own varying levels. Joe had reached level 70 yesterday when he brought Cisco and Caitlin home-baked cookies for no _good_ reason at all, just because he wanted to (Cisco thinks it’s because he misses Iris). Iris was close to breaking Barry’s speeding record with a 54 and climbing. Wally was still at a low level, 15, but that was only because he’d just joined the family and he still wasn’t in on the whole Flash thing. Cisco saw him now and then at the precinct or the West house, but not much outside of that.

So to Cisco, love was like playing Pacman. She loved all of Team Flash – plus Wally in that extended kind of way – and the more quarters she spent on them and they spent on her, the higher the levels went.

Falling in love was like playing Galaga. The tiny, 8-bit space ship flies around, shooting at the enemy ships and dodging their lasers. You’re doing pretty good, got to level 48 and only lost one ship out of three. It’s exciting and nerve-wracking and there are so many times you almost get hit, but then, out of nowhere, that sneaky bug-eyed enemy ship swoops down and abducts your current ship. It flies away in cheerful loops, laughing mockingly as it takes its place back into formation. Your last ship blinks into the starting spot and you continue the level, determined to free your stolen ship. And sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you accidentally blow up your captured ship while attacking the bug-eyed thief. Sometimes you get it back and that’s because you show hard work and skill and spend lots of time. And you can’t describe the relief and satisfaction you feel when your abducted ship is returned to you. It happily takes its place next to your current ship and the two of them together kick some serious alien ass. Somewhere along the way, you wonder how you never realized that the two of them working together is actually very awesome. How it felt good to have the extra ship there next to you. How you really needed it there next to you. How did you even manage without it, really?

That’s when you realize that you’re a goner and you’re not really sure you could survive loosing that second ship (but sometimes you do, sometimes the enemy takes it and destroys it right in front of you).

Love was like Pacman. Falling in love was like Galaga and Cisco was pretty sure that Harry had become that stolen ship she was trying to get back with pinning and snarky quips. Which was weird because he was only level 32.

Cisco’s pondering this as she nibbles one of Joe’s – freaking _amazing_ – home-baked chocolate chip cookies – seriously, she didn’t know it was possible to bake Heaven – while absentmindedly swiveling in a chair. She’s alone in her lab, which was fine with her. She was having a horrible case of PMS and isn’t really in the mood for company. She hugs one of her legs to her body, chin resting on her knee making her head bob up and down while she chews. The other leg is curled under the chair, foot hooked on one of the wheels as she gently sways back and forth.

She isn’t sure when it happened. Hell, she hasn’t even _realized_ that Harry reached level 32 in the first place, let alone started up Galaga too. After some thought, she concludes that it started around the time Grodd kidnapped Caitlin. There’s something about a guy who risks his life to save your closet friends. Maybe these feelings were born from gratitude? Kinda like all those stories you hear of victims falling in love with firefighters or police officers. Hmm…

She pulls out a piece of paper and makes a list.

_Things that are attractive about Harry:_  
_1\. eyes_  
_2\. smile (when he actually does)_  
_3\. strong arms_  
_4\. intelligent_  
_5. ~~strong hands~~ strong_  
_6\. the hair isn’t that bad_  
_7\. looks good in black_  
_8\. has this soft look whenever he talks about Jesse_  
_9\. nicer than he used to be_  
_10\. it’s kinda fun to bicker with him_  
_11\. sometimes when he looks at me I get butterflies_  
_12\. probably would feel safe in his arms_  
_13\. lips look soft_

Cisco crumbles up the list and throws it away.

She makes a new list.

_Reasons why it won’t work and why you’re stupid for hoping it would:_  
_1\. he’s twenty something years older than you_  
_2\. that means he’ll think you’re too young_  
_3\. seriously, he has a daughter almost your age_  
_4\. he’s way out of your league_  
_5\. rich_  
_6\. smarter_  
_7\. probably thinks you’re immature_  
_8\. you are immature_  
_9\. finds you annoying – he’s said it lots of times_  
_10\. think of your track record_  
_11\. he’ll probably sprout wings and have a 4000-year-old girlfriend (or boyfriend)_  
_12\. yes that happened and with your luck it’ll happen again_  
_13\. you’re a loser_  
_14\. you really should just get used to being alone_

Cisco looks at the list. With a sigh, she adds:

_15\. and I will probably become an alcoholic in the near future_

Because she needs a stiff drink. Badly. She keeps this list though. She folds it carefully and stashes it in a drawer Harry has never opened (she knows because there’s a lock on it and Harry hasn’t been able to crack it yet).

It’s only 1:00 pm when she arrives at the nearest bar. As the bartender places her order in front of her, she mentally tells herself it’s five o’clock somewhere and downs the drink in one gulp. Then orders another.


End file.
